Monday, October 17, 2011

Peoria woman recants in sexual assault case

A 19-year-old Peoria woman has recanted her statements that a Mossville man sexually assaulted her, forcing prosecutors to toss out the case against him just days before he was to be sentenced.
The woman had taken the stand against Myron V. Tate, 20, of 10603 Moss St. in late August. She testified that he and Kenneth D. Coleman, 19, of 805 E. Russell St. sexually assaulted her on April 9. Her statements, combined with a video taken from a cellphone, led to Tate’s conviction. He has been held pending his sentencing and would have faced up to 30 years in prison.

On April 9, Tate and the woman went to a house in the 800 block of Russell Street. At some point, she testified at the trial, Tate forced her to have sex with him, and then later, he filmed her having sex with Coleman.

Tate testified during the four-day trial that the sex was consensual, but the woman said she was forced and restrained at times, though she also testified under cross-examination that she wasn’t held.

But a week after the trial, the woman told prosecutors that she lied. Court records indicate she was embarrassed to admit she had sex with two men. Peoria County prosecutors vacated the conviction in late September and then threw out the case Friday.

Coleman’s case, which was pending before the grand jury, was also dismissed.

It was unclear if any charges were pending against the woman as a result of the false testimony. State’s Attorney Jerry Brady could not be reached Monday for comment.

Tate, however, remains in custody on a parole violation stemming from a 2009 Peoria County conviction for aggravated battery.